BLACK+DECKER8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner up to 350 Sq. with Remote Control, White

I purchased this machine in April (3 months ago) and it's such a lovely addition to my life. I wanted it to cool a room that's about 15x15 in HUMID Florida. I run several computers, lights, and other heat generating objects for podcasting in this room. It's working like a dream and the sound doesn't intrude with my recordings (using a dynamic microphone of course). I read other reviews here that the dehumidifier doesn't work well in Florida. I've actually never tried to use just the dehumidifier option yet (instructions say to attach the hose included and run the water off when running that option). I haven't had a reason too since its so d*mn hot already and the AC dehumidifies. I'll update again in the fall when the temperature drops. Also, the guide says that you'll only need to empty the water at the end of the season. At first, I didn't believe that and kept checking the water level. It still hasn't gotten to the point where I need to empty it. I'll update at the end of the Summer or when the Full Tank indicator lights up. I'm also making a point to clean the filter at the start of each month-easy. The best advice I can give is to purchase this AC (or any window/portable AC) during the winter. I've been tracking several of them over the course of 3 years and during the coldest months the price is $200. I sadly missed the price by a week when it increased in early April to $255. Now it's July and the price is apparently around $350. If you're on a budget and need something today, research building a "swamp cooler" and hold off until winter and get an amazing deal on a great product. This is probably the best product I've purchased on Amazon. Be careful when you remove it from the box after it arrives. I did make sure to let it sit upright for 24 hours but when I removed the box I did end up breaking the bottom water drain plug. I was able to reattach using gorilla glue. luckily I knew to do that. I'd suggest to un-box slowly. Cut away the the box piece by piece. I think I was afraid I'd need to keep the packaging intact as much as possible in case I had to ship it back.UPDATE: 3 YEARS, 3 MONTHS LATER (8/2022): Still working strong. I've never had to empty it but I also never use the dehumidifier. I've never had a reason to empty. I've run it constantly for months on end too, even during Summer months in Florida. It cools a room 15'x15 very well and even beyond down a hallway. Also, as I wrote before, the back knob that you attach the dehumidifier hose broke when I attempted to lift it out of the box and foam. I replaced it with Gorilla Glue but I've never attempted to use that feature because it worried me that I would break something else if I didn't reattach it correctly. Someone asked me about keeping it from stopping and starting in order to sleep better. That can be disruptive if you're not using another source of white noise to keep you asleep. I can't sleep anywhere unless I run some rainstorm sounds. I have found that turning the temp as low as I can, and turning up the speed to high and turning on the (room) "max" button will tend to keep the sound up at least some high hum constant and that helps. I do need to keep a small notebook on top of it to drown out the blue lights, but recently, I've also started using an eye mask to sleep with (you should totally try one if you have trouble sleeping). It's also easy to clean, maybe too easy. I clean the filter about every 3-5 months but I'm sure I should do it monthly. If this machine broke tomorrow (probably because I'm bad at remembering to clean the filter), I'd go back here and try to replace with the exact model. Also, the beeping noise when you adjust it isn't too loud but I wish it wasn't there at all. To avoid each beep, I aim the remote in another direction and change the temperature, speed, then aim it back at the unit and press one more degree (so I only have to hear one of those beeps). Problem solved. At some point, I'll come back and update this again with an update on the difference in my electric bill. I haven't noticed a huge difference yet.

Before finally deciding to purchase this AC unit, I was concerned with some of the reviews. I had seen reviews mentioning that the hose from the unit to the window popped off easily, I read that the condensation was so bad that drip pans were filling up everyday. I also heard that it was no effective at cooling down a room. I’m pleased to say that none of this was the case for me.I live in San Antonio, Texas where the heat and mild-moderate humidity make life miserable, especially in a house where my bedroom gets very poor AC ventilation. My 500 sq ft room would often hit 84-87 F during the peak of the day and would float around 78-80 at night (I use a digital thermometer in my room. After the use, my bedroom, it quickly cooled my 86 F bedroom down to a nice 74 (which almost feels cold to me now). At night, my room gets down to the mid 60s. While the 8000 BTU unit doesn’t cool to 64 degrees (which is the coldest setting, which I leave it on when I use it), it’s still a lifesaver for me. Also keep in mind that this part of Texas has been seeing 95-105 F weather daily, and it consistently maintains my room at 30 degrees colder than the outside temperature even with 2 west facing windows that catch the hot afternoon sun. My energy bills did not seen a noticeable increase after the first month (which is the best part for me).The hose has never once popped off, even when i move it around a few inches one way or the other while cleaning. The window kit has worked great and the foam insulation provided also seems to work great.The noise level is a noticeable, but for me, I’ve mentally tuned it out and can still make calls and use zoom without anyone mentioning the noise. It measured at about 53 decibels from the middle of the room. Which, for reference, would be comparable to being outside in light rain. It almost feels like having a relatively quiet white noise machine, or being in a hotel with window units on.As for drainage, or condensation, there is almost none. However, I never use the dehumidifier setting. Every time I pop off the rubber guard for the water outlet, there’s not even a drop of water, even with 50% humidity in my house (measured with the digital thermometer). It could be different for those living in tropical climates like Florida or those who use the dehumidifier setting, but it hasn’t felt necessary for me.Set up took less than 30 minutes, most of which is was spent trying to figure out the window kit installation without using the manual, as well as double checking that I created a good seal with the foam provided.Overall, this AC has been awesome for me, as someone who gets hot and sweaty very easily, I now sometimes get cold in my room during the day. I’m able to leave it off when I go to work or leave the house, and can turn it on when I get home, and it’s able to cool the room by 5-7 degrees within an hour. My room went from being, by far, the hottest in my house, to now being the coldest, by far. I’m completely happy with this AC and would 10/10 do it again. Hope this helps!

Earlier this summer, I realized that our home's A/C was just not keeping up on really hot days. I also worried that cranking the A/C all day was going to burn out the unit. Our solution was to choose one room (media room) that is enclosed and buy a portable A/C to cool it. We hang out there until the temps go down.This model is compact, very easy to use and install (1 hour max), and cools the air efficiently. Our room is 12' x 12' feet and, for this space, it works well. It looks nice in the room, however, it does not fit against the wall snuggly as some photos show. You need about 18" of clearance, from the wall, for the hose to vent properly. I like that the unit is on casters for easy movement, because it is heavy.I wish that the levers on top, that direct the air, had more flexibility. The air mainly flows upward. I placed a regular floor fan in front of it to help circulate the air. Also, in a small room, the motor is a little loud. However, in a bigger room you may not notice it.With so many hot days in the forecast, this Black and Decker A/C unit is well worth our investment.